The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing device for dispensing different types of beverages or beverage components, wherein at least one of the beverage ingredients is provided in a unit dose as a pod or capsule.
More in particular, the present invention relates to such a beverage dispensing device, wherein at least one of said beverages or beverage components is a malt based beverage or a malt based beverage component.
At present there is a trend to fancier kinds of beverages, wherein multiple beverage components or beverages are added to one another so to provide a consumer with a sensation adapted to his taste.
A goal of this invention is to provide a beverage dispensing device allowing consumers to prepare and serve such fancier beverages at home with one device with a small countertop footprint.
According to the state of the art all kinds of beverage dispensing devices exist which allow for the dispensing of different types of beverages or beverage components, such as beverage dispensing devices for dispensing different types of coffees and teas possibly mixed with milk, cream or sugar and so on.
Usually, the coffee or tea is made by passing hot water through coffee powder or tea leaves respectively.
Other beverage dispensing devices are for example intended for dispensing all kinds of juices or sodas.
It is clear that such beverage dispensing devices are of a complete other category than the type of beverage dispensing devices of interest in the present invention.
Indeed, the dispensing of different types of beverages or beverage components wherein at least one of the one of said beverages or beverage components is a malt based beverage or a malt based beverage component requires adapted equipment which is capable of coping with the specific needs related to malt based beverages or beverage components.
For example when dispensing a malt based beverage or beverage component, it is important to control foaming of the concerned beverage or beverage component.
Also, in beverage dispensing device having supply lines through which malt based beverages or beverage components are passed, a biofilm is slowly formed into the supply lines.
This biofilm reduces the quality for as far as the taste and smell is concerned of the dispensed malt based beverages or beverage components through the supply lines and must therefore be very regularly removed by a thorough cleaning of the supply lines.
Furthermore, the rate of dispensing, the pressures involved during dispensing and the volumes of liquid dispensed in beverage dispensing devices wherein at least one of the beverages or beverage components is a malt based beverage or a malt based beverage component are usually much higher than in the typical coffee machines or the like and require adapted equipment with increased capacity and strength.
It is understood that dispensing of such a beverage requires some skill and is time consuming.
It is also clear that depending on the person that is dispensing the beverage the volume ratio of the different beverage components dispensed can vary easily, resulting in a varying composition of the finally dispensed beverage, which is often not desired.
It is therefore an objective of this invention to overcome one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks or possibly other non-mentioned drawbacks of the known beverage dispensing devices.